One More Troubled Soul
by hushhush182
Summary: *My own OC. It will not follow the exact story line but mostly close. Starts in the middle of Season 3* When a mysterious young woman shows up unconscious and hurt in the forest outside Storybrooke everyone has questions. Who is she? Where did she come from? How did she end up in Storybrooke? What part will she play in their lives and the future to come? Rated M for adult content.
1. The Woods

So I have never done a OUAT story before and I just had this idea. Depending on how it is received I may or may not continue. *Set after season 3 episode 13*

* * *

The darkness was everywhere, but it was welcomed. I remember the basement. The chains. The torment. I don't know how I made it out but I did. One minute I was in the basement, the next I was standing outside surrounded by the woods. Then I remember running.

After that nothing. The darkness is beautiful. Before, I hated the darkness. Now it was a blissful respite. Whatever was to happen, at least I could die freely in the darkness if that was to be my fate.

* * *

Robin was hunting in the woods near the Merry men's camp site. Trying to distract himself from the Wicked Witch and Little John's transformation into a flying monkey. His best friend was gone, and he didn't know if they would ever get him back. He was beginning to think life was simpler back in the Enchanted Forest.

The light snowfall from the night before crunched beneath his boots. Turning the corner he spied a deer. He readied his bow and stayed silent so not to spook the creature. A twig snapped beneath his foot. Mentally cursing himself Robin expected the deer to sprint away to safety.

Only it didn't.

The creature was more interested in something else before it. Following the animals line of sight, Robin glanced at what was so captivating.

The breath in his body stuck in his lungs. He saw a body lying on the snow covered ground. The deer fled as Robin ran closer. Burnt copper hair stained with dirt and filth covered the face. Gently he pushed the hair aside. It was a girl, no a woman. But she seemed so young, especially in her present state. Her deathly pale face was marred by bruises of varying colors and dried blood, while harsh red scratches and black bruises formed under her left eye. Her clothes were torn and ragged, almost as dirty as her face.

Robin checked her neck. She was breathing, but she was freezing. He had no idea how long this battered woman had been out here.

"Miss? Miss can you hear me?" Robin called to her.

Nothing.

Not knowing if there were more injuries on her, Robin slowly and carefully picked up the woman cradling her in his arms. Her grime stained long sleeves lifted up revealing deep lacerations on her wrists tinted ugly shades of a reddish-purple.

"Men!" Robin called into the open, hoping the camp would hear him, "Men!" Yelling again, "Help!"

Within a few moments their trusted faces appeared.

"Robin what is it?" Friar Tuck asked as they all ran into the distance stopping when they saw the woman in their leader's arms.

"Someone run and get Emma and David, quickly, tell them to meet us at the hospital." Giving them the order and then watching them disperse.

The woman stirred in his arms.

"Hello, Miss can you hear me?" Asking once again. She gave a pathetic attempt at a push to get out of his arms. Her eyes didn't open.

"No. I won't go back. Kill me here, but I won't go back there." She pleaded in a dry, cracked voice then fell limp again.

His heart lurched at her words, his mind racing as to who could hurt her so.

"Who is she Robin?" Friar Tuck asked him as they made their way out of the woods to the hospital.

"I have no idea." He replied staring at the broken body in his arms, wondering who could harm a human thusly.


	2. A Mystery

Emma and David walked into the hospital with Snow, Regina, and Hook in tow. They found Robin at once.

"What is going on?" Emma asked him.

"I have no idea. I still have no idea how she came to be out there in the first place." Trying to wrap his head around the event.

"Wait, back up and start from the beginning. Who is _she_?" Regina questioned.

"I had gone out hunting near our camp when I had spotted a deer. Raising my bow I was about to shoot when my foot snapped beneath a twig. I thought the animal would run but it didn't, its interest taken in something else." Robin took a breath.

"That's when I saw a body lying on the forest ground. I ran over but the face was covered by hair. Pushing it back I saw a young woman, she looked like a child at first…I suppose her injures made her seem smaller somehow…" He trailed off for a minute. Her battered face etched in his mind.

Everyone noticed how Robin's jaw clenched as his story trailed off.

"What injuries did does she possess?" Hook broke the silence.

"There were bruises all over her face mixed with dried blood. Angry scratch marks and black bruises formed around her left eye. Her wrists…when I lifted to carry her…"

"What about her wrists?" Snow pursued but was not sure she would like the answer.

"There were deep impressions on her wrists coloring them in a mix of reddish-purple bruises. It looked as if she had been chained or shackled." He concluded.

Everyone was silent for a moment.

"Did she say anything to you?" Emma asked Robin.

"She stirred once before we set out for the hospital. She tried pushing against me but she was so weak. She said to me, 'No. I won't go back. Kill me here, but I won't go back there.' Then she passed out again."

"Who did she think you were?" Regina inquired, asking what everyone was thinking.

"Probably whoever gave her those bruises." David sighed, wrapping an arm around his wife.

"Not to be perceived as the cold-hearted bastard, but how do we know this isn't some trick put forth by the Wicked Witch?" Hook voiced.

"What you think she would go this far? Or have someone help her go this far?" Snow questioned.

"Well look at what else she's done." Regina added.

"No, no I don't think this is part of the witch's scheme. There was pure fear in that woman when I found her. She was in those woods to run from something evil, not helping it." Robin said in certainty.

Dr. Whale found the small group huddled together trying to dissect the current situation at hand.

"Did she say anything about what happened to her?" Emma questioned.

"No but she did wake up when we began examining her…" Dr. Whale paused, "We had to sedate her."

"Why?" All of them speaking at the same time.

"When she woke up she didn't know where she was. She began screaming about chains and the darkness and how she would not go back. She thrashed against all of us as we tried to calm her. Eventually we had to use sedation."

"How is she now?" Snow slowly asked.

"It's…it's not good. Someone used her like their own personal punching bag." Telling them, "Her face is covered in varying degrees of bruises. She has a semi black eye, two broken ribs, lacerations to both of her wrists. It appears she was indeed chained up." Letting it sink it before explaining the rest.

"God." David breathed.

"There's more." Instantly everyone stilled bracing themselves.

"Her left ankle has a mild fracture and she will need to be in brace for about two weeks. She was close to hypothermic when Robin brought her in and severely dehydrated. Most of her body is covered in cuts as well as more bruises and…" Dr. Whale's words seemed to drift off into the air. A pained look stretched over his features.

"And what?" Emma pressing him. Taking in the doctors suddenly pale face.

There was a pause, "Given the state of her body...her injures taken in as a whole both physically and mentally…there is a strong reason to suspect sexual assault, if not rape." He responded quietly.

Snow and Regina gasped while Emma blanched. David hugged his wife closer to him.

"Bloody hell." Hook whispered.

Robin turned away from the group trying to swallow the bile making its way up his throat.

"I can't administer a sexual assault evidence kit without her consent, and I can't be positive she was assaulted; but if I am correct I gave instructions for a kit to be prepared immediately and her wounds to only be minimally cleaned because of forensic evidence." Whale explained to them. Though he wish he wasn't in this position at the moment.

A nurse walked into the hallway, "Dr. Whale she's awake." Informing them.

Whale turned to David and Emma, "You may ask your questions, but if she becomes upset you must leave." Sternly telling the both of them before turning to the others, "And the rest of you wait out here. That is an order." Whale commanded thinking of his patient.

Emma and David nodding in understanding before following Whale to the room. They stopped short just outside the window taking the mystery woman in. Her eyes closed, face painted in various bruises. Hair the color of a dark penny matted in dirt. The rise and fall of her frail chest. Wincing, probably from her broken ribs.

In a gesture of paternal need Emma reached over and took her father's hand in her own. David squeezed back for a brief moment, sharing his daughters feelings.

The moment passed too quickly before their hands left one another's and they opened the door stepping into the room.


	3. My Story

Rated **M** for mature content. Please review and follow.

* * *

Something is different. Off. I am not where I once was. My ears are filled with beeping machines, people's voices, noises that sound nothing of the darkness or the woods.

A door clicked and my eyes flew open.

My pupil's dilated as I scrambled to take everything in. No basement. No forest. No darkness. A hospital. I lifted my right arm. My tattered clothes were gone, replaced with a hospital gown and there was an IV in my veins.

My eyes roamed to the front of the room. Standing by the door was one man and one woman. Straight away my eyes found their badges.

Coppers. What would they believe of my story? I didn't know if I even believed it.

Both of them hesitated. Time ticked on before the woman, a blonde with green eyes slowly stepped forward.

"Hello, my name is Emma Swan and this…" She gestured to the male with short, sandy hair and a matching colored scruff and blue eyes, "Is David Nolan. We are both sheriffs of the Storybrooke Police Department.

Storybrooke? Where the hell was I?

"We would like to ask you a few questions if that's alright with you." The blonde spoke softly as she and her partner pulled up chairs to my bed, but were wise to keep their distance.

I stayed quiet. Watching them. Scrutinizing them with my gaze.

"Can you tell us your name?" The man asked quietly, but I did not answer.

More silence.

"Why should I trust you?" Cracking the silence. My throat felt dry, "No one ever cares about delinquents like myself. I learned that the hard way in the foster system." Narrowing my eyes at them.

There was pause before the blonde spoke, "I know what that feels like." She cracked a smile, "The only person you can trust is yourself."

"You were in the system?" Questioning the truth of it.

She nodded, "My whole life. What about you?"

"I went in when I was eleven. The state took me out of my mother's care." My eyes glancing to the other side of the room, avoiding their faces.

"Why?" Her partner asked me.

"It's not important." Biting out as I began to close myself off.

"We want to help you. We will help you and I know you've heard that time and time again with no results but I promise you, one foster kid to another we will help you." Her words rang a truth within me. My gut told me to at least try. If it didn't work out I would run the first chance I got.

"Iris Blackwell. Twenty years-old, originally from Vermont but I cut out of the system at sixteen and lived on my own moving around a lot. I settled down in Andover, Maine when I was eighteen." Telling them.

"That's almost four hours south of here." David said. Shit. I was four hours away.

"What happened to you?" Emma gently asked.

I hesitated. The fear and doubt sticking in my throat.

"By my soul I swear, there is no power in the tongue of man to alter me." Speaking out loud.

The blond looked lost but her partner, David smiled, "Shakespeare, _Merchant of Venice_ right?"

I regarded him with a curiosity, my guard dropping the slightest before nodding, "You know your British literature."

Pausing I sucked in some air but winced immediately from the pain in my ribs, "What I am about to tell you is no lie. It is no cry for attention, and nothing will make me recant my story for it is the truth. By my soul I swear."

"Three nights ago I was abducted from the streets of Andover and kidnapped by a man who called himself Drew. He came up behind me and dragged me into an ally. He drugged me and everything went hazy. I faintly remember being shoved into the trunk of a car. I tried to keep some sort of count on the time but I lost track. I never guessed I would be this far from Andover."

Letting my words sink in I waited to see a flicker of doubt flash across either of their faces. I waited but it didn't show itself.

"I must have blacked out because the next thing I remember is waking up in this cold, damp room. It was a basement of some kind…and my…my hands were held in shackles, chained to the wall." Looking down I saw my wrists for the first time. I mean really saw them.

The angry red and purple indentations screamed at me as I stared down at them. I tried to bend my wrists but flinched. The slightest movement caused pain to jolt into my body. Hesitantly I placed my right hand on my left wrist. The skin felt raw and cool, I was surprised there was not more damage. I struggled and fought against those shackles as much as I could before I gave up.

There was a cough as one of them cleared their throats. Out of insecurity I shoved my hands under the cover of the blanket before looking back at them.

"What happened in the basement?" David gently prodded.

Giving out a sigh, "I don't know how long I sat there chained like that before he came down. He descended down a set of stairs from a door that opened and led to the outside. I tried to position myself to see if I could make anything out as he came down the stairs but all I could tell was that it was before sunrise."

"You didn't know you were in the woods?" Emma asked as she took down notes.

I shook my head, "No, when he brought me to the house, or it was more like a cabin I suppose, I was still passed out. I only remember waking up chained in the basement. He came from the outside, shut the cellar doors and took out a set of keys. There was a padlock on the inside of the door and he locked it... me in, then turned on an overhead light." Explaining to them.

"Can you tell us what he looked like?" David opened his own notebook and was ready to jot away.

"Definitely older than thirty, but younger than forty-five. Maybe late thirties if I had to clearly define his age. White, well-defined muscles, he looked like he kept himself in shape. His eyes were a pale blue, almost grey. They were hard, and cold." Fidgeting with my hands under the blanket.

"His hair was like a light, golden brown. Sometimes in the light of the lamp it looked like a very dark blond, darker than your hair color." Gesturing to David, "He was clean, well-shaven. He looked…he…" Trying to fight the emotions creeping into me.

Emma stopped writing, "He looked like what?" Her tone was soft.

"Normal." My voice cracked in a whisper.

"Do you need to take a break?" David kindly asked, but I shook my head.

"No, you need this." Determination steadying me for the moment.

"You called him Drew?" Emma glanced down at her notes just to make sure.

"That's what he called himself." Nodding, "But he never gave a last name, he just said to call him Drew. That's the first thing he said to me, 'Hi, my name is Drew.' He said it kind of sweetly and all I could remember was feeling sick to my stomach."

"I asked why I was there, what he wanted, where I was. I pleaded with him to let me go. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone what happened if he just let me go. He just gave this short laugh, but it wasn't in a cruel way. Just he thought what I was saying was somehow funny to him. He said he had been looking for someone like me for a long time, and once he had what he wanted I was free to go."

My throat constricted. It was hard to swallow.

"Could I have some water please?" Asking either of them in a croak.

David quickly rose and went for the water pitcher near my bed; pouring me a glass with a straw. I felt self-conscious about showing my wrists but my thirst won out as I took cup from him.

"Thank you." Answering after a few greedy sips and rested the cup on the table by my bed.

There was a pause. I was worried about how the next part would sound, but my gut still pressed me to speak.

"He said I was special. That I could do things normal people couldn't, that he wanted my power, my ability. Once he had it I was free to go, but I had no idea what the hell he was talking about. I tried to tell him that I had no power, no special ability, that I was normal. I couldn't do anything special.

"At first he thought I was just being modest or something, but the more I tried to tell him that I didn't have anything he became irritated…that's when he began slapping me. Every time I denied my 'power' he would slap me again, harder and harder. I don't know how long he kept that up but when he stopped he said he would be back in the evening. He said he hoped it would go better then. Then he left. I was excited when I saw he didn't lock the door, until I heard him locking the door from the outside. I realized he had _two_ sets of locks, one on the inside of the door, one on the outside. I sat there tugging on my chains until I began to cry." Stopping to force some air in my chest despite the pain in my chest.

"He came back that night?" Emma asked but they both knew the answer.

"Yes. He came back." Quietly responding.

"He asked me if I had changed my mind and if I was willing to cooperate. He talked so calmly, like the situation was so rational. I told him again and again I had no idea what he was talking about and that I couldn't help him."

Slowly I exhaled and stared up at the ceiling to keep my tears at bay, "That's when he brought out the board. He said since I wasn't willing cooperate of my own accord he was just going to have to change my mind the hard way. He screamed at me to lay down with my back on the floor as he brought out a two by four. He said I did this to myself as he raised the lumber and smashed it against my chest as I howled out in agony." Croaking out as two tears slipped out of my eyes.

Furious with myself I angrily wiped them away. This was no time for weakness.

"Every time he raised the wood he asked me over and over to give him my power. Every time I would answer I couldn't and pleaded with him to stop. I cried that I would give him what he wanted if I could. I counted a total of eight times he brought that lumber down on me before he stopped. I tried kicking him out of hatred but I didn't work all that well, and it was a pretty stupid move to do because he brought the board down on my left ankle before leaving the basement."

Covering my face with my hands I tried to hide the tears, "I don't know what he wanted from me. I would have given it to him if I knew what it was!" Sobbing out, hating myself.

"Iris look at us." I heard David.

Achingly I removed my hands from my face to look at them.

"This man is obviously very disturbed, this isn't your fault. It is his. And I promise you, when he is found justice will be served. You just need to remember that you are here, right now. You won even though right now it doesn't feel like it, but you won because you survived, and you are here now telling your story."

Leaning back onto my pillows I forced myself to even my breathing and to take in David's words. How I wanted to believe him.

"He came back on the third night of my abduction. He had been drinking I could smell the liquor on him. He came down and locked the door. He was quiet. For a long time he didn't say anything, and I didn't really care because I was in so much pain. Then he spoke, he believed that I was being insubordinate and purposely keeping whatever he wanted from him. He said he tried being nice but since that didn't work he was just going to take what he wanted from me."

Pausing I bit my lip to keep it from trembling as more tears fell down my face, "Did…the doctor that treated me, did he do a rape kit?" Rasping out, feeling the sharp ache in my ribs.

They were silent for a few moments, "Um, no, Dr. Whale did not." Emma quietly responded.

I squeezed my eyes shut in a pointless attempt to stop the tears, "He's going to want to." Crying, looking away from the both of them.

One of them handed me tissues which I took wordlessly. It took a minute for me to calm down.

"He didn't leave when he was done. He just sat there staring at me in a haze, lying on the cold floor in a heap of agony and tears. I turned away from him because I thought I was going to be sick if I had to look at him for one more minute. I don't know how long he was down there, but when I finally glanced at him again he had passed out. Then things get fuzzy." Racking my brain trying to remember.

"Fuzzy how?" Emma inquired. Her voice was soft.

"I have no idea. One minute I was in the basement but the next thing I remember is running away from the cabin. All I could think of was running, of getting away. I don't know how far I made it before I finally collapsed from hunger, pain, and dehydration. All I could think was 'well if I am going to die at least I can do it freely in the woods.' The next time I woke up was here."

"So you can't remember how you escaped?" David asked in a gentle inquiry.

I shook my head, "I don't remember anything after seeing him passed out in the basement. I think I might have reached and tried to take the keys off him and escape that way." Fishing for ideas, "I have no idea." Telling them honestly.

"It could be related to the trauma you suffered. You have been through so much, your mind just needs time to calm down and relax." Emma explained.

"The doctor needs to order the kit and get it done quickly before the evidence is gone." Creaking out as I wiped away more tears.

Emma and David stayed silent.

"Could I please be alone for a while?" Turning away from them to face the wall.

"Of course, we'll be back in a few hours, and we'll keep someone posted outside your door for your safety in case…" He trailed off.

In case Drew came back.

He didn't finish his sentence and the next sound I heard was the door opening and closing.

That's when the sobs came like a tidal wave and I didn't try to stop them.

Why did this happen to me?


	4. Is That a Real Hook?

Emma and David left the room closing the door behind them.

"Jesus." David sighed out, rubbing his hands over his face.

"I know the feeling." His daughter answered tiredly.

The pair of them made their way back to the group who all stood at attention upon seeing them.

"Well what did she say?" Regina was the first to ask.

Emma shook her head, "It is not good at all. Where is Whale?" Looking around for the doctor.

Snow disappeared and a few moments later came back with Dr. Whale.

"You're going to want to get that kit you prepared for her." Emma told him softly.

Whale closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose. He shook his head as he walked away without saying a word. He thought about how unfair and cruel life could be to innocent people.

"So…she was…" Robin started but couldn't find the words to finish.

"Her name is Iris Blackwell, twenty, from Andover, Maine. Three nights ago she was abducted by a man who called himself Drew, who had some obvious mental problems. He kept her chained in a basement. This man beat her, tortured her and on her last night before escaping raped her." David told the group with an obvious distress in his voice.

"Oh God." Snow gasped, her eyes watering with tears.

"Bloody hell." Hook shook his head in disbelief.

"How did she escape?" Regina asked softly.

"She doesn't remember. The last thing she remembers before waking up here, in the hospital, is running through the woods before collapsing." Emma answered before turning to Robin.

"You saved her life."

"I'm sure she doesn't exactly feel lucky about that right now." Robin responded with a clenched jaw and a bitter tone.

"You said this man, Drew, had mental problems, how do you know?" Regina inquired.

"He kidnapped her because he said she was 'special' that she could do things no ordinary human could do. He said he wanted her ability, what was in her head. Iris had no idea what he was talking about, and kept repeating to him that she was normal but he wouldn't listen…clearly it escalated quickly." David explained to the group.

"Wait now, what if she does have some form of power? A sort of ability...like magic?" Hook's question hung in the air.

"Then why wouldn't she just tell him and spare herself from being put through everything she has just been through? Or if she does have magic then why didn't she use it to save herself?" Robin threw back at him.

"Maybe Iris is normal and this Drew is just a clearly disturbed man." Snow sided with Robin.

"Or maybe she has magic but she just doesn't know it." Regina said, "I mean you didn't even know you had powers until you came here." Pointing to Emma, "Maybe somehow she used her power to escape and she just can't cope with how she really got out, so she blacked it out of her memory."

"Or maybe this is all just speculation." David concluded, "Either way we need to turn this over to the State Police."

"Why?" Regina, Hook and Snow questioned with a nervous flicker. Outsiders coming into Storybrooke now would not be ideal, especially because of the Wicked Witch.

"Guys this is a huge situation. We are dealing with a twenty-year-old being abducted, beaten, tortured, held against her will and raped. We can't just keep this confined to Storybrooke. The SP can do a better job at conducting this investigation than we can." Emma told them.

"But outsiders coming here now? What about the witch?" Regina ringed her hands.

Emma pointed down the hall, "Do you want to go and tell Iris that! Sorry we couldn't find your kidnapper/rapist because we were all too nervous about outsiders coming into our town!" Hissing at her.

Regina backed down in a state of shame and guilt.

"There is no debating this, end of discussion." Emma firmly held her ground.

"But isn't there anything we could do to help? To further the investigation." Hook inquired.

There was a pause.

"We could find him and bring him in before the State does." Robin answered.

"What?" Regina yelled at him.

"Think about it. If this man already knows Iris has escaped he could be leaving right now. We need to catch him before he has the chance to get away. At the very least David and Emma could bring him in and question him, at least Iris could have that."

"That would make it easier if we already had him in custody when the DNA from the kit comes back. It would be like killing two birds with one stone." David reasoned.

"And how in the hell would be find him? We don't even know where he was staying and how far Iris was from his place when she fled and Robin found her." Regina stated as if she was the only one thinking logically.

"I can find him." Robin stated with complete certainty, "I was the best tracker back in the Forest. I can track anything and anyone, if I pick up Iris's trail from where I found her I know I could find where she was being kept."

Emma and David silently debated.

Finally Emma nodded, "All right here is the deal, Robin you're coming with us. Mom, you Regina and Hook stay here."

"Why am I staying behind?" Hook became irritated.

"Because if we find this guy and have to call it into the SP how is going to look that a guy dressed a pirate was at the crime scene?" Emma bit out in sarcasm, "Plus, we promised Iris we would post people here in case this guy came back."

Hook couldn't argue with that last reasoning. Before they left David and Emma gave a description of Drew so the trio knew what to look out for.

With that Emma, David, and Robin set off for the forest.

* * *

Everything took over two hours. I was prodded, scrapped and poised for pictures in the collection forensic evidence. The State Police asked me so many questions it made me dizzy. I tried to stay numb, not to think, not to feel during the whole thing.

Afterword's Dr. Whale left me in peace to rest. Except that didn't go too well.

I woke up screaming. My chest aching as my heart threatened to leap from my body. The terrible memories pounding in my head.

Three people I didn't know came barreling into my room, causing me to curl back onto the bed in fear.

Dr. Whale entered a moment later.

"What is going on?" He asked the three people and myself.

Rubbing my hands over my eyes I responded, "It was a nightmare. Just a nightmare. I'm here not there. Here not there." Rocking back and forth telling myself.

A sob escaped my lungs, "Sorry." Apologizing to all of them.

"There is nothing you need to be sorry for." A woman spoke. My head shot up.

Besides Dr. Whale there was two women and a man in my room. Both of the women had dark hair, but one was heavily pregnant, and the man…

What the hell?

He was dressed like a freaking steampunk pirate. I eyed him cautiously.

"Iris I'll be just outside if you need me, or you can press the button for a nurse." Whale told me.

Giving me the clear message that if I wanted these people gone it would be done. Then he left us alone.

"Who are you people?" My voice shook.

"I'm Mary Margaret, I am married to David Nolan, the sheriff, and my daughter Emma is also the sheriff." She smiled while cradling her stomach.

Jesus. She was so young and so was Emma. She must have had Emma when she was like fifteen or something.

"And I'm Regina Mills, the Mayor of Storybrooke. We were here because Emma and David asked us to stay with you until they got back."

The Mayor? Was I really that important?

"Aye, we're here to make sure your safe." The man spoke in a light Irish accent.

Oh my God, he actually said 'aye' like a real pirate.

"Why are you dressed like that?" Keeping my eyes on him. Surely he couldn't be dangerous or anything if both of the sheriffs trusted him…

There was a slight millisecond of a pause before Mary Margaret answered but I caught it none the less, "Killian is an actor with the local community theatre. They are doing a production of Peter Pan and he is playing Captain Hook."

I did not miss the look of exasperation that Regina and the pirate gave her.

"Yes…I'm lucky enough to play the dashing Captain Hook." He smiled and raised his left arm.

"Oh my God!" Screeching out loud as I scrambled further back, "Is that a real hook?"

"For the love of God put the hook down, she doesn't need to be terrified any more than she already has." Regina hissed at him.

Killian lowered his hook with shameful regret flashing across his face, "Yes love, it is a real hook. I lost my hand a few years ago…in a boating accident."

How ironic.

"You know they have come a long way in the field of prosthetics." Responding as I settled back down again.

I wish I was a turtle with a shell to hide in.

"Yes…" He paused, "I do have a fake hand, but I don't like wearing it. The hook feels more natural." He grinned again.

I didn't know how to respond to that so I didn't. Thus silence crept upon us.

Tick Tock. Tick Tock.

"Um where did David and Emma go?" Asking finally breaking the silence.

"They…went to go follow up on a lead in your case." Regina slowly answered.

"What do you mean?" Looking at her in confusion.

"The man that…found you, Robin, he is an expert tracker, so the three of them went to go track your trail in the woods." Mary Margaret explained carefully.

"They think they can find Drew's cabin just the three of them? I didn't even have any directions to give them." My skepticism at the Storybrooke PD tactics started to grow.

All three of them could sense it.

"Robin is very good at what he does. If anyone could find this devil then it would be him." Killian tried to reassure me.

I was more worried about him finding me first.

The door opened. Emma and David appeared with another man.

Another stranger.

"We need to talk to Iris." David told me but is tone threw me off.

This was not good.


End file.
